


Say Love

by ImGonnaLoveYouEndlessly



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29950803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImGonnaLoveYouEndlessly/pseuds/ImGonnaLoveYouEndlessly
Summary: Sometimes even if you find that someone that you are meant to love. They don't love you back the same way. And you learn to live with the heartbreak. But no matter what you do or how you try to shield your heart sometimes life has a way of coming full circle. How is it that after all these years it feels like the very same moment? How is so much the same? And why is so much different? And so Betty Cooper braces herself for a heart twice broken on a porch in front of a red door.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper
Kudos: 26





	Say Love

**Author's Note:**

> What to say about Barchie? They are everything and more <3 
> 
> Even though they have never been together 'officially' I live with the belief that Archie has always loved Betty and Betty has never fallen out of love with Archie. And even if these beliefs live only in my head, well I'm happy to have such a head full of dreams ;) 
> 
> The title and song lyrics for this story (in bold throughout the prologue) are from the song 'Say Love' by JoJo and although the  
> whole song might not be their story I thought the lyrics I chose fit well. At least with the story I'm trying tell.
> 
> Some of the dialogue in the prologue are direct quotes from the show while others are ones that I wrote that will be reintroduced with context throughout the story.
> 
> And since I'm still learning how it works here, I will just add tags and characters as they are introduced.
> 
> Anyways with much love for Barchie (and Barchie angst) I hope you enjoy the story I'm about to tell and even if you don't that's okay too (just try to be kind in the comments) :)

Prologue

Sometimes life has a way of finding you someone to love.

Someone to fill the empty holes in your heart.

But sometimes even if you _do_ find that someone they don't love you back the same way.

" _Of course I love you, Betty. But_ _I can't give you the answer you want. You are_ so _perfect. I’ve never been good enough for you._ _I’ll never_ be _good enough for you."_

Which just translates to...I don't want you and I'm not _in_ love you.

That's when life has a way of breaking your heart.

And the holes that were once filled are now ripped open and left bleeding.

But you learn to live with the heartbreak.

You learn to mend your broken heart.

To protect it.

To shield it.

Because if there is no way in.

If you don't let _him_ in.

The same heart can't be broken the same way _twice_.

Right?

**_"This is us at our best"_ **

"Do you know when I feel the safest? Its now, when you're holding me like this."

"If someone were to ask me if I could go anywhere in the world. I would say here. Right here with you."

"Can I hear it? The song. The song you wrote for me."

"I should have...I should have loved you all along."

**_"and at our worst"_ **

"Right, of course! Because you didn't want to hurt or lose Jughead! I remember. So you just hurt me instead?"

"I wish you would have loved me then, but you didn't and I can't change it. But don't do that. Don't lie to me. Not about this!"

"Friends. Everytime I ask you what we're doing you say we're best friends who are having fun! This is more than friendship. This is more than having fun. And you know it! But what am I supposed to do? Force you to want more!"

"I wanted so badly to hate you, but I couldn't lose my best friend. So I had to watch you with her and I had to learn to live without you wanting me back, but it was killing me! You didn't want me because I was so perfect to you, but how can a person be too perfect to love?"

**_"And when we speak, does it feel unrehearsed?"_ **

"I'm asking if you love me or even like me?"

"I can't give you the answer you want."

"But then what has this all been about?"

"So whatever this is or it was. Its just over."

"Maybe we can try to be more?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't...I can't do this."

**_"Cause where I wanna be is far apart_ **

**_From where we are, from where we are"_**

But no matter what you do or how you try to shield your heart sometimes life has a way of coming full circle.

How is it that after all these years it feels like the very same moment?

How is it that Betty Cooper finds herself...once again...standing on her front porch staring back at Archie Andrews?

How is so much the same?

Her heart beats just as fast...the _thump thump, thump thump_ loud in her hears.

The butterflies fluttering in her stomach ready to burst free from her throat.

The tears in her eyes that she wills not to fall.

But worst of all...the dread.

The all consuming dread that hestill _won't_ be able to give her the answer she wants.

Why is so much different?

But she knows.

She knows why.

This time is worse, so much worse because the love is more...so much more.

Becausesheknowsnow what it feels like to be truly consumed by Archie Andrews...heart, body, andsoul.

**_"And I thought I found the place where we could start_ **

**_Talk from the heart, talk from the heart"_**

Butmaybe she's too late.

Maybe she'd protected her heart so well that when he couldn't break through the wall she had placed around it to keep _him_ out.

She'd pushed him right back into someone else's arms.

But she doesn't want to shield her heart from him anymore. 

She wants to tell him all that he makes her feel.

**_"But you just say I'm perfect"_ **

When he kisses her and only stops when they need air, and she's left completely breathless. "This is perfect. You're perfect," he says against her lips and it no longer feels like a knife to her heart. It feels like the beginning rather than the end.

**_"Say I'm pretty"_ **

When his fingers trace patterns on her skin and he whispers how pretty she is. His hands leaving a trail of fire where ever he touches, so that she has to grasp his wandering hand and intertwine their fingers to stop him before she blurts out _I love you_.

**_"Say I'm worth it"_ **

When she wakes up wrapped in his arms so tightly that she doesn't know where she starts and he begins. "All of it was worth it to be right here in this moment with you," he says and she silently agrees, but is too scared to say the words out loud. Because he is, _he_ is worth it.

**_"But if you really care for me"_ **

And so Betty takes a deep breath and braces herself for a heart twice broken on a porch in front of a red door.

"I'm not going to ask what you did with Veronica at Cheryls'."

**_"Say love"_ **

"Im asking you now. Right now. If you love me, Archie?"

_**"I want you to say love"** _

"Do...you...l _ove..._ me?"


End file.
